The Minority in Parliament has strongly pointed out that the attempt by the current administration to brand them "as anarchist would not stick".
Describing recent remarks by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo against them on issues concerning the national identification (ID) registration process as needless and unfortunate, the Minority stressed that Ghanaians are not unaware of those who "gloated over the violent actions during the Atiwa by-elections and also the now infamous call to violence - "All die be die"."
President Akufo-Addo over the weekend criticized the Minority in Parliament for boycotting the ongoing Ghana card registration in Parliament.
He does not understand why the NDC who had supported the exclusion of voters ID cards, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards, among others, as qualification for national ID registration in Parliament would turn round and stand against the implementation of the same.
But a statement issued Monday and signed by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu said they "expected the President to explain to Ghanaians why they are paying in excess of $40 per card when across the world, the average price is $5 per card. This exorbitant and outrageous drain on the public purse is of no concern to the President apparently"
“We urge you to do the right thing. We urge you to put the National interest ahead of partisan considerations. We urge you to think of the twenty-three (23] million Ghanaians you are about to deny citizenship. We urge you Mr. President, to be a President for all Ghanaians and not a selected few,” the statement added.
Below is the full statement
RE: CLAIMS BY PRESIDENT NANA AKUFO-ADDO ON NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION CARDS
The Minority has noted with surprise the sad commentary engaged in by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over the weekend at the 2018 Ashesi University congregation.
The unfortunate comments and needless attacks by the President on the Minority are misplaced. As a Minority, we expected that even if the President was going to comment on the matter, he would have sought to give a credible explanation to the outrageous cost of $1.22 billion that his government is saddling the Ghanaian tax payer with for the Ghana card.
We expected the President to explain to Ghanaians why they are paying in excess of $40 per card when across the world, the average price is $5 per card. This exorbitant and outrageous drain on the public purse is of no concern to the President apparently.
Even more astounding is the President's claim, in his unprovoked attack on the Minority, that there is no more credible basic document requirement for establishing nationality or citizenship than a birth certificate or a passport. May we remind the President that only seven (7) million out of thirty (30) million Ghanaians have the two documents he speaks of. Is the President suggesting that he cares less about the citizenship or nationality of the remaining twenty-three (23) million Ghanaians? May we remind the President that his pronouncements cannot supersede Chapter Three (3) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana which sets out in clear unambiguous terms who a citizen is.
The President must remain minded of the dictates of Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution and how this provision and its related processes including the Supreme Court ruling in Abu Ramadan v EC that led to the use of the Voter's ID cards in electing not just him as the 5th President of the 4th Republic on the 7th of December 2016 but all 275 Members of Parliament. Mr. President, it is this same Voter's ID card that was used to elect you. Are you by any means suggesting that your election was illegitimate? The President has a duty of care to the Ghanaian people and the Ghanaian voter to ensure fair and equitable coverage of all eligible citizens in any national exercise in a manner that does not seek to disenfranchise any citizen. Mr. President, your actions contravene the letter and spirit of Articles 35 (2)(3)(5) of the 1992 Constitution and this is deeply regrettable.
The Minority has taken note of the attempt by Mr. President to pitch us as not being patriotic and against a national project. Mr. President, may we remind you that this process commenced under our period in Government at a more prudent cost of $115 million and was more encompassing taking into consideration every Ghanaian citizen properly so called. In your inauguration speech, you called for us to be citizens not spectators, in this vein, we would continue to hold leadership to account on behalf of the Ghanaian public even as we remind you, Mr. President of your unenviable history of boycotting National events not limited to the Senchi National Economic Dialogue, the Investiture of President John Dramani Mahama, the National Day of Prayer but to mention just a few. It is also worth noting that your attempt to brand the Minority as anarchist would not stick as Ghanaians remember who gloated over the violent actions during the Atiwa by-elections and also the now infamous call to violence - "All die be die".
The Minority would continue to hold your government accountable on behalf of Ghanaians and we urge you to show a little level of tolerance for constructive criticism as it is only then that we can truly serve the hopes and aspirations of the Ghanaian people. We urge you to do the right thing. We urge you to put the National interest ahead of partisan considerations. We urge you to think of the twenty-three (23] million Ghanaians you are about to deny citizenship. We urge you Mr. President, to be a President for all Ghanaians and not a selected few.
Ghana and posterity awaits your action or inaction, Mr. President.
[Signed]
HARUNA IDDRISU, MP
Minority Leader
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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Your level of frustration is beyond comprehension and you have adequately exhibited it clearly by your comment here. Your darling MPs were in parliament when the bill came for amendment which they happily by consensus passed into law. Normally, one would think that these "after-Thought" MP would wait to see the implementation of the law before pointing out defects if any. It is so unthinkable that you just passed a law which went through a strict scrutiny both at the committee level and on the floor of the house and you turn around to bastardize it. But one thing is sure...you WILL NEVER get this one through. Mark it on the wall!
NDC! always shifting the goal posts. So now it is the cost of the card ,not the requirements for registration that is their beef. Interestingly they always conveniently forget to add that if one did not have a passport or birth certificate he could get a family member to vouch for his citizenship. The truth of the matter is that the NDC wants an 'all Africa 'card so that all the Malians Togolese and other nationals they managed to register to vote will still be on a register that is NOT only for elections but will have many other uses.The NDC lives sleeps and breaths elections and how they can always get an unfair advantage.By the way what has 'All die be Die' got to do with all this?
The NDC compares the cost of ID cards across the world and make their point. Somebody should tell this double salary MP that ministers across the world are also entitled to only one salary. Infrastructural projects are also not inflated by 500% as they did in office. One thing is scaring the NDC. They are sure that when the voter ID card is rejected and sanity is brought into the system THEY ARE FINISHED! We'll see where they will pass to RIG again.
Good response to an over pampared old man being worshiped as a god. Fuuliish NPP Despite Group FM Stations always skewing things to NPP's favour. Uselessss girls who read newspaper headlines at Neat FM will always say it as it is when it is about Mahama and from NPP's aligned newspapers, but try to white-wash everything negative about Akufo Addo because he is their god. Uglly and cheap Akosua Sarpong and her lieutenants must wise up! Peacefm news is always Nana Akufo Addo’s name must be mentioned at all cost even if he is out of the country or he never performed any function on that day. Tell over pampered Kwame Sefa Kayi who sits in an Akan FM Station and win journalist of the year award to send people to go round the country to verify which projects his new government is undertaking like he did to Mahama’s Day Senior High School Buildings. Who the hell is Nana Akufo Addo who is above criticism for Kwame Sefa Kayi to ask Sammy Gyamfi not to criticize him. How many times wasn't Mahama insulted? I know one of you from the stable of Despite Group will come here and insult; whoever does that curse be unto him/her since I have written the obvious.
The guys with ill gotten wealth what is he saying? Plagiarized MP and following the former so called young president who wass sleeping on the job.
CID,CID,CID what has happened to the "DOUBLE SALARY" Mp's.Haruna Iddrisu and his colleagues are more dangerous than NYANTAKYI.Anas can't not let us forget about them.Come out with the final report and LETS FIRE them from Parliament HOUSE.
NDC is pushing for Voter's ID to be used. But Voter's ID is only for people 18yrs and above. NDC, please tell us how those under 18yrs are to be registered on the Ghana Card
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Folks there's something I want to understand here with this Ghana Card pls help me someone. Is there any law mandating every citizen of Ghana to register? If yes let's take ndc to court for boycotting but if no pls let's leave ndc to rot in opposition and they should stop disturbing our ears
MR HARUNA , I SEE YOU AS GOOD FOR NOTHING. I PRAY YOU LOOSE YOUR SEAT IN 2020. YOU ARE NOT HELPING YOUR PARTY NDC. YOU ARE NOT A GOOD MINORITY LEADER TO LEAD THE OPPOSITION NDC.YESTERDAY MR KYEI MENSAH BONSU SAID SOME NDC MPS HAVE GONE TO REGISTER WITH THE NIA AND HAVE RECEIVED THEIR CARDS. I WANT MR KYEI MENSAH TO COME OUT AND TO MENTIONED THE NAMES OF THE NDC MPS WHO HAVE GONE TO THE NIA TO REGISTER OR MAY THE NDC PARTY DRAG HIM TO COURT. IF WHAT THE MAJORITY LEADER SAID IS TRUE HE SHOULD COME OUT WITH NAMES.THIS MPS CANT BE TOILING WITH OUR DESTINY AS A PEOPLE.I WONDER THIS NDC MPS HAVE SHALLOW MIND AND CANT THINK FAR AS THEIR LEADER JOHN MAHAMA SAID. THAY WILL STAY IN OPPOSITION FOR LONG TIME.